Rafael Nadal x Richard Mille
Rafael Nadal retired from professional tennis after the Davis Cup last month.
One of the ‘Big Four’, the much-lauded Spanish tennis player holds over 15 records, including the most French Open titles won in the men’s singles event.
He won this 14 times during his career and nobody is near to breaking his record – the player with the second most French Open titles is the retired Björn Borg with six titles and in third place is Novak Djokovic who has won three.
He also holds the record for the most consecutive French Open titles won – he won five years in a row between 2010 and 2014 – and impressively holds the record for the most consecutive years with at least one Grand Slam title won in the men’s singles event. He is at number one with 10 years of victories between 2005 and 2014.
But Nadal’s staying power isn’t confined to the court, and his long-standing relationship with watchmaker Richard Mille has proved equally fruitful over the years.
The pair met in 2010, though Nadal was initially reluctant to don a watch during matches, as most timepieces were too heavy and unable to handle the force of ball on racquet for a professional athlete.
Mr Mille eventually managed to convince him courtesy of the RM 027 – the world’s lightest tourbillon at the time of its release, and the first watch to bear the King of Clay’s name.
Since then, Nadal has been one of the few tennis players who actually wears his watch during play, with most brand ambassadors donning their timepieces as soon as they leave the court.
A bond that goes beyond a simple partnership, the tennis champion explained: [Richard Mille] really wants to take the watch industry forwards. He’s not someone who’s simply content to rest on his laurels. He strives for excellence and that’s something I respect. In my game, I’m always looking to improve and I work hard to achieve this.”
Mr Nadal and Richard Mille have gone on to create 11 watches together, from the ground-breaking first model to the latest automatic unveiled in 2024, the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon.
Here, WatchPro takes a closer look at the collaborative Richard Mille x Rafael Nadal watches.
Richard Mille RM 027
The RM 027 was designed to withstand hours of g-force shocks of the clay courts while remaining lightweight – a challenge for any tourbillon movement.
A limited edition of 50 pieces, it became Nadal’s ‘second skin’ via a carbon composite case, flexible polycarbonate strap, and titanium and lital allow movement.
Weighing less than 20 grams, including the strap, it was the lightest watch ever produced at the time.
£1,433,544 via Chrono24
Richard Mille RM 035
Launched in 2011, the RM 035 is the first Richard Mille Chronofiable-certified timepiece, marking the ability of the RMUL1 caliber to withstand extreme conditions without any effects on its performance.
It features a skeletonized dial with a lightweight magnesium and aluminum alloy build, often used to machine F1 pistons.
$382,000 via Chrono24
Richard Mille RM 27-01
The second generation of the RM 027, 2013 saw the introduction of the RM 27-01 – impressively even lighter than the original, weighing just 18.83 grams.
Using an ingenious mechanism of tensioners of braided steel cables, the complex calibre RM27-01 movement is held in total suspension within its case.
It features a new system that can withstand up to 5000 Gs of force.
$758,500 via my-watchsite.com
Richard Mille RM 35-01
Released in 2014, the 35-01 features a bolder design with pops of Nadal’s signature red and yellow colours in a nod to the Spanish flag. It has an upgraded movement, replacing the original caliber RMUL1 with the RMUL3.
This movement weighs a mere 4 grams and has a power reserve of 55-hours provided by a double-barrel system.
£209,950 ($270,000) via Savard Co.
Richard Mille RM 27-02
Inspired by the chassis of racing cars, the 2015 RM 27-02 introduced the very first skeletonized baseplate known as the ‘unibody’, developed for greater impact resistance on the court.
Catching the eye on and off the court with its red-clay colored strap, it was limited to just 50 pieces.
$777,000 via my-watchsite.com
Richard Mille RM 35-02
Returning to the RM 035 line in 2016, the RM 35-02 came in two variations: one in more classic black and the other in a new bright red. The timepiece was created in response to customer requests for a self-winding automatic mechanism within a Nadal calibre.
Another first for the collection, the sapphire crystal case back has an anti-reflective treatment so that the calibre can be seen from every angle.
$544,000 via Chrono24
Richard Mille RM 27-03
2015 was a productive year for Nadal and Richard Mille, creating three new additions to the collection. The RM 27-03 kicked things off by breaking watchmaking boundaries, becoming an industry first to withstand shocks of up to 10,000 gs.
The loudest model to date, its unignorable red and yellow Quartz TPT case was created with an extremely intricate layering process that requires many hours of milling and finishing.
$1.5 million via Chrono24
Richard Mille RM 035 Toro Americas Editions
Exclusive to the US, nodding to Nadal’s third Open title in 2017, the Toro was named after another one of the player’s nicknames, “The Bull.”
Upgraded from the original RM 035 with the brand’s new automatic caliber RMAL1, it came in two colourways: the black was inspired by the original, while the 18-karat rose gold elevated the sporty aesthetic.
$580,000 via Chrono24
Richard Mille RM 27-04
Celebrating 10 years of Nadal’s partnership with Richard Mille, 2020 saw the RM 27-04 debut a unique case design of mesh ‘strings’ reminiscent of a tennis racket.
Made of TitaCarb, a carbon fiber reinforced polyamide, it boasts the strength of steel while remaining lightweight. A new caliber allowed the timepiece to absorb 12,000 Gs in shock.
$1.7 million at the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV
Richard Mille RM 35-03
The King of Clay returned to the game in 2023 with aplomb both on and off the court. The RM 35-03 was created in three versions: blue Quartz TPT with a white Quartz TPT caseband, white Quartz TPT and Carbon TPT with a Carbon TPT caseband, and one in full Carbon TPT.
New technical achievements marked the occasion, with a butterfly rotor allowing the wearer to interact with its geometry by controlling the movement’s winding speed based on lifestyle and activity levels.
$238,000 at retail
RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon
Bowing out of his last season with one last co-design, 2024 saw the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon break a final record.
It was the result of 4,000 hours of work in designing the caliber and case. Reducing the inaugural collaborative model’s 18 grams to an effortless 11.5 grams while upping its ability to withstand 800 gs to 14,000, the timepiece marked a two-fold record for a manual winding tourbillon watch.
$1,150,000 at retail